Kagome's Diary
by Always Keep the Faith
Summary: Kagome finds herself in possession of Tom Riddle's diary. Tom tries to figure out how to return to power with a language barrier in the way but maybe just being around Kagome has its perks
1. Chapter 1

This story goes off a couple assumptions that might be, and are likely, wrong because it's been way too long since I read/seen Harry Potter, and I'm too lazy to do my research. I apologize to both the Harry Potter and Inuyasha fandoms for taking creative license.

1- Tom Marvolo Riddle's memory in his diary cannot know anything about the outside world unless somebody writes in it or at least opens the damn thing.

2- Tom's itty bitty piece of soul gains energy from whoever writes in the diary and eventually he can manifest a body once he literally sucks the life out of the writer, assuming s/he is the average wizard/person.

3- I'm just going to assume Lucius Malfoy wasn't hanging onto Tom's diary for decades and only decided to use it to corrupt unsuspecting children after Harry goes to Hogwarts. So Tom's diary was...somewhere else in the world. Just not with Lucius because I can't think of a way to get it away from him right now.

4- Also haven't decided where I want to put this in the timeline yet.

It is my intention to write this story largely from the point of view of Tom Riddle Jr. with splashes of third person POV. It's my intention but things don't always go as I intend. Also not going to have very long chapters. This idea just popped into my head one night after I dreamed of something completely unrelated, so I just want to write it down so it doesn't take up room in my head anymore.

* * *

~ Kagome's Diary ~

Somewhere in the afterlife, Salazar Slytherin must have found great amusement at my predicament. The closest I have come to being able to possess a body, and there was no writing in my pages. Who kept journals but did not write in them? Apparently, his current keeper.

It had been 40 something or so odd years since I first left a little piece of myself in this diary. Forty or some years since somebody has picked me up again and flipped through my pages. I could tell it was a young boy with an innocent soul. Perfect for manipulating. Then, I shall release the basilisk to purge Hogwarts of its impurities and finish my ancestor's noble cause! Unfortunately, the boy never came to use me, and I changed hands again. This time to a girl from what I can discern. Females often kept diaries to pour out their trivial emotions into right?

I am not often mistaken, but it seems that my plans to return to the wizarding world will remain at a standstill. She only wrote one line in my diary so far, and before the ink even finished melting into the pages and I could construct a reply, she shut the cover! After many decades in solitude, I admit that my sense of time is lacking, but I would imagine it has been a few days since I have come to this new hand who gave no indication of opening me up again.

What's worse is the one line that I had managed to absorb through the paper before I was cast aside. I prided myself in being a learned young man. I could at least recognize all the romance languages and have become proficient in some. But all my skills in linguistics could not aid me now for that one line was chicken scratch to me. It most definitely was not English or anything close to it! Well, bollocks.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

A longer chapter this time. Probably will be longer any time I do third person p.o.v. Thank you for your lovely reviews! I'm glad this idea intrigues you enough to review and follow ^^

* * *

Kagome's activities each time she returned to the modern era became routine after a while. She would climb up the well, hug her family, take a long soak in the bathtub and eat her mother's delicious home cooked meal before immediately curling up like a cat under her covers and not emerge until the next morning. And then upon waking, she'd proceed to panic about school and being behind in her studies.

She had gotten her good night's rest in a real bed for the first time in weeks. Now, she was at the breakfast table trying to, but only half successfully, reviewing her English vocabulary flashcards for her quiz today.

Her little brother, awake and wide-eyed for school, bounced into the kitchen and stood in front of Kagome. She eyed him suspiciously and tried to look around him at the object he was holding behind his back.

"Guess what!" He shouted with way too much energy for a morning on a school day.

"Good morning, Souta. What have you got there?" She asked before taking a sip of milk.

"While you were out fighting demons, I went on vacation with Uncle to London!" He grinned.

Her face changed from one of curiosity to disbelief. "What?! I would have totally stayed here if I knew Uncle was going to take us to London! Mama!" She turned towards her mother who was packing her bento.

"Uncle kind of surprised us with it." The woman hummed.

"Damn."

"Language, Kagome!"

The daughter gave a sheepish look. "Sorry. Inuyasha is a bad influence."

"Don't be too jealous, Nee-san. I got you a gift!" He held out a sparkling gift bag towards her and she received it with two hands half excitedly, half begrudgingly.

Extracting the contents, she found it to contain a keychain, a postcard, and a thin, black leather notebook with the year 1943 on the cover. She opened to a random page and brushed her finger against the box in the corner that held April 23. There was no day on it so she figured that maybe 1943 was just written for decoration or maybe that's when the store that sold the book opened. The small notebook with its white pages didn't look old. Closing it, she examined the back cover and saw the name of the store embossed in the back. It was an overall neat, cute planner. What Asian girl didn't like cute notebooks and stationery, right? But she didn't feel as excited as she thought she should have felt.

Nevertheless, she said with a smile, "Thanks Souta! I can use it to write down all my homework assignments and test dates!"

She opened it up again and her brows furrowed.

"Souta, this is totally somebody's planner." She showed her younger sibling the first page of the book. "See. It belongs to somebody named T.M. Riddle."

"Really? But it's blank." The boy took the book and flipped through the white pages. "I thought that was just the store name it came from or brand or something."

The book passed back to Kagome and she examined the writing. "Hmm...maybe. But it looks like somebody wrote it in ink. And I think the store name is on the back."

There was something about the small leather-bound book that made her want to hold on to it but throw it away at the same time. Her brother got it for her as a souvenir and she could tell how much he wanted her to like it. It was blank so she could use it and it wasn't like she could return it to this T.M. Riddle. But maybe because it was was already claimed by another that she felt weird about keeping and using it. Kagome turned it around multiple times in her hands, deep in thought.

Her mother's voice brought her out of her trance. "Kagome, you're still here? Aren't you going to be late for school?"

"Oh no! I'm going to be late!" School supplies, textbooks, and notebooks were thrown into her backpack haphazardly. "I still love it! Thanks again Souta!" She ruffled her brother's hair as she hopped into her shoes and bolted towards school.

The girl burst through her classroom door and stumbled into her seat. Everyone's attention turned to her, but she didn't care. She plopped down into her much disused chair and sighed. Looking at the clock, she found that she wasn't even close to being late. 'Hm...I guess being chased by demons all the time has made me faster.'

Homeroom slipped by without occurrence and her first class was science. Failing to find her class notes, she took out the planner Souta had given her and opened to a blank page. It was big enough to be a journal, and she needed to write today's notes down in something. She'd just have to recopy them later once she found her normal notebook. She scribed her name at the the top of the page before a girly voice took away her attention.

"I have your science notebook, Kagome."

"What? Really?"

The girl addressing Kagome walked over. "Yeah, you left it here last time you were in class. I was going to drop it off at your house, but Hojo said your property is under quarantine or something like that."

"...Oh...yeah...everything's fine now." With a blushing face, Kagome closed her brother's gift to her and received her normal notebook.

"I've been keeping notes for you too so you don't have to recopy them."

"You're a lifesaver Ayumi!" Kagome gushed while hugging her friend.

The week of school went by without incident. She never opened up her brother's gift to her again. Honestly, she already had a planner and would just continue to use her old one until the year was up. Instead of putting it in storage though, she kept it in her schoolbag and even shoved it along with all her class notebooks into her yellow backpack to bring with her to the Edo Period. At the end of the exhausting week, she jumped back through the blue, starry portal to continue her journey.

* * *

Tom's P.O.V

By perhaps the end of a week's time, I noticed something unusual that was absent for all the decades I had sat idly in this void. It was a magic that was seeping into my space that came as a slow and unsteady rivulet. I have not had anybody besides myself towards the end of my 5th year writing in my pages as a test, so perhaps I was mistaken at how to function my own diary. Maybe I didn't need the girl to write their soul into me for absorption. But that cannot be correct. I have absolute confidence in my spell creating this horcrux and the specificity that I required for it to function as I had intended. In addition, I was sure the energy that was trickling through my pages was not that of a soul. Perchance, I can absorb the witch's magic as she carries me? Curious. But that would still make me wrong. For now, I will put my pride aside to observe.

Did I feel any stronger? I could not very much tell at this point. Much like the writing that this girl had given me, this magic just felt foreign. Oh! I just felt a surge of another type of magic, something older and less personal than this girl's magic. Even more curious.


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: Heads up. My description of the magics will probably be a little confusing. It makes sense to me but I know it won't make sense to everybody. Don't read too fast and just go with it.

* * *

I abandoned trying to keep track of time. The girl obviously was not going to write in my diary anytime soon, so I bide my time by categorizing the magics that I felt. They weren't visible or tangible, but I could feel them as if it mixed with the imagined air.

The magic that captured most of my interest was a dark magic that came in sporadic incursions ranging from nonexistent to a trickle to a surge of power. It was a magic that possessed the intention of invoking a reaction. It was like a gray scale with the lightest gray being restless and gaining increasing mischief that transformed into violence as it got darker. I secretly hoped this magic reflected the state of the world and that I or my followers were the cause.

The most constant magic flow was undeniably light magic. Despite being the most prevalent, it was also the weakest and least remarkable. Sometimes, there would be a spike in the influx that was worth more attention. This white magic would transform from a peaceful and uninteresting energy to something of a warm pressure that made me uneasy. It didn't have the intention of violence like the previously mentioned magic but it was surprisingly daunting.

Later, when I better familiarized myself with these magics, it became easier to feel the magical energy and I made some observations. For the most part, the gray and white energies kept out of each other's way. However, on the rare occasion that his diary absorbed violent dark gray or black magic, the light magic warmed me as it brightened to burn away the evil. If I had a body, I think I would actually get burned with the heated pressure I felt. All that would be left was light magic, and if I was a lesser dark lord, I would fidget at the complete tranquility that filled my space.

My other observation was that neither magic, including the white one, was permanent. It came in but simultaneously dissipated at a slower rate. I only noticed this because the black magic that I loved so much would fade away eventually when the inflow stopped even without the white magic attacking it. The white magic, with its nearly continuous flow, filled more and more of my "room", but at the rate it was going, it only made noticeable increases when the floodgates opened to wash away the black magic.

The strongest magic I have so far felt came in occurrences far and few between. It was an old magic but oddly felt new at the same time. It did not make sense. It was neither light nor dark. For some reason, I imagined it to look blue if it had a color. Unlike the other magics that lingered, this one disappeared as quickly as it came. Perhaps, this magic was so unique and fleeting, it did not seep into my paper at all, but it was so powerful that I could still sense it outside my confines.

Categorizing the magics was an interesting method to pass the time and all, but otherwise, it has been utterly unproductive. I am no closer to manipulating the weakest of minds! Oh great! There goes another one of those fiery floods of white magic. Farewell, my comforting black magic! This much good magic is starting to turn me mad! I'm starting to hear voices! If I must turn mad, why could not these voices at least speak English?! And what insane man would be haunted by the sounds of running water, clanking pots, bells, and singing birds? Wait a minute….


	4. Chapter 4 - Hearing

I discovered that light magic was the source of my newfound auditory capabilities. I only knew this because during those rare times that the diary was not soaking in white magic, acoustic quality noticeably suffered.

It was not too difficult to hear voices through my pages as the girl kept rather loud company. Of course, I couldn't understand what was being shouted. Judging by the frequency of the use of certain words, I wager that my holder's name is 'Kagome'. This Kagome would often say with affection or worry 'Sango', 'Miroku', 'Shippo', and 'Inuyasha'. That last one was often said rather loudly and was sometimes accompanied by anger. Occasionally, I would hear her shout an 'Osuwa….something' which was followed by a warming of light magic and a sound of a thump. I would also gamble that this Kagome was my main source of good magic.


	5. Chapter 5 - English 101

My "ears" perked when I heard English mixed in with all the syllables of alien sound. Thank Merlin that this Kagome seemed to be learning English! Maybe I can finally make sense of everything I was hearing! Only my frustration at this girl for not writing in my diary outweighed my frustration at not understanding the majority of sound that permeated my cover.

To my dismay, these English lessons were highly irregular and not very long. All my concentration was needed to hear and remember all the English words and the foreign sounds that I discovered to belong to Japanese. It would be leagues easier if she'd use my diary as a notebook but I have long ago given up on that happening.

Grammar was difficult to grasp in my current state. Vocabulary was the easiest to pick up but the professor did not assign many words per lesson, further limiting my learning. I found some of the vocabulary utterly useless! Congrats to me for now knowing the Japanese words for 'toilet', 'dog', 'cat', and 'alarm clock'...I now recognized some numbers and most of the days of the week. I now knew the Japanese added honorifics at the end of names. I learned some common verbs, but it seemed that they conjugated those so it didn't really feel like I learned them at all. I also learned that Kagome was failing English. A shame she won't ask me for help.


	6. Chapter 6 - Smell

A/N: I appreciate everyone's support and reviews! And I'm especially honored to see some of my followers are authors of stories that I read.

* * *

I haven't been frightened much in my life. I honestly cannot recall the last time I felt scared. But the first odor that hit me in decades admittedly unnerved me. It was the familiar smell of poison and it was everywhere. I even had the ridiculous thought that somebody got their hands on basilisk venom and drowned my pages in it.

Thankfully the stench dissipated and I was able to properly register that I even had a sense of smell at all!

Apart from that noxious gas scare in the beginning, I began to think my pages only had a nose for certain scents: campfire, woods, rain, and the barest fragrance of soap and vanilla chamomile that seemed to be a constant.

* * *

Third Person P.O.V.

"I can't believe you were saved by Sesshomaru of all people!" Inuyasha grumbled.

"Technically, he attacked Mukotsu for his own reasons and saving us was just a consequence of that," Kagome commented as she dumped the contents of her bag out onto the ground. Mukotsu's poison seemed to have gotten into all her stuff so she wanted to air it out.

"Still. I'm surprised he just didn't kill you anyway." The dog hanyou's ears flattened. "I should've been the one to save you…"

Kagome coughed a little bit and fanned herself with her planner. "It's not your fault Inuyasha. You were fighting Jakotsu."

Inuyasha shivered. "Don't say that name. He gives me the creeps."


	7. Chapter 7 - Touch

A/N: Sometimes, I just feel the NEED to post something. I was in one of those moods today. I just wanted to write.

* * *

TOM

The discovery that I could feel sensation brought about ambivalence. It was certainly gratifying that my cover could transfer feelings of texture and temperature, but having the pain of being dropped on a rock and then having something that felt like a sack of cans thrown on top of me was most decidedly unwelcome.

She didn't seem to treat her belongings delicately and my aches attested to that. This Kagome must be a troublemaker of a witch. Most irritable and not at all charming if the frequent shouting and jostling were reliable indications. Her company was as boisterous as any Gryffindor. Her tone would sometimes be as humble as a Hufflepuff's though, and occasionally, a little Slytherin venom was thrown about.

Judging by the sounds and smells, she was an outdoorsman. Perhaps one aspiring to be a dragonologist or a caretaker of magical beasts? My mind has conjured up an image of a brawny witch with dirt smudged skin and calloused hands. It wasn't necessary that I know what Kagome looked like but it did not hurt to connect an image to a voice.

* * *

Third Person POV

Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the cover. She was considering leaving the black notebook behind. Really, there was no need to lug it back and forth across time when she didn't write in it anyway. But one never knows right? What if Shippo ran out of drawing paper one day? Kagome picked up the book and flipped through it absentmindedly as she spun around in her desk chair. How else could she lighten her load? Her toned body had become accustomed to Inuyasha's military pace but a smaller pack wasn't unwelcome.

Souta opened her bedroom door without announcement. "Kagome! Inuyasha's here!"

The girl automatically hid the notebook underneath her pillow and then made a face at her own actions. 'What was that?'

"What are you doing? Hiding your diary or something?" Her brother raised an eyebrow at her.

"No! I don't know why I did that. That was weird." She stood up and stretched.

"KAGOME! Let's go! Don't forget to pack the ramen!" The dog hanyou shouted outside her window.

She grumbled, "I'm coming," before picking up her nearly empty backpack and running downstairs to throw in some extra food.

* * *

TOM

I revised my earlier imaginings that Kagome was exceedingly masculine. She tapped on my cover with delicate nails and picked me up with small, long fingered hands. There were hints of calloused palms, but, for the most part, they were soft and warm. I shivered at the feeling. I haven't experienced human touch in a long time and even back then, I did not fancy the contact. I only accepted congratulatory pats from professors and the occasional intimate gesture from my for show girlfriends. If I had a corporeal form, I would feel a bit violated.

It took a while, but I forced myself to get used to the sensation and then focused on my other senses. She was flipping through my diary now. Oh! Thank goodness! There was hope! Write something! Anything! Or at least keep still on a page so that I may write something to you! ARGH! If I could, I would stun you right now!

She wasn't stopping. Why could she not be less of a tease while being bored? I closed my blind "eyes" and took a deep breath to calm myself. Ah...so she is who smells of cleanliness and vanilla chamomile. I guess I always knew but only now was I thankful for it because it helped in dispelling my frustrations. It also painted a more effeminate image of Kagome in my mind.

Suddenly, I felt myself stuffed between two clouds. Blankets? Pillows? Wherever she placed the diary, it certainly was comfortable, a stark contrast to wherever she normally puts me. How long has it been since I slept in a real bed? Was it always this pleasant?

And then I discovered she had left me there! That little….


	8. Chapter 8 - Dreaming

A/n: Thanks for the reviews, my lovely readers! ^^ I got a new laptop from my bro and typing on it motivated me to write this. I didn't expect it to be this long I was originally going to post like 200 words and it ended up being a little over a 1000 x_X

I'm just going to assume everyone knows what "kawaii" means.  
"Bijin"=a beautiful person (mostly used in reference to a woman)  
"Sumimasen"=sorry;excuse me; or thank you

* * *

TOM

Sometime throughout this whole ordeal, I began to crave the white magic and scorn the dark magic. Honestly, the evil magic benefited me in no way and anything without purpose need not deserve my attention. It is most probable that this change in sides occurred when Kagome left me for who knows how long.

It wasn't so bad at first. The bed was rather comfortable. Once I lost the ability to feel the comfort, it was all downhill from there. I could only measure time by the aroma of meals that wafted up to me. After a few days of the teasing, that disappeared as well. Occasionally, I heard footsteps pass by but there was not much other activity.

Just when the sounds were about to cease altogether, a welcome breeze of white magic tickled my senses and I wasn't sure whether to be grateful for her return or furious that she left me behind in the first place. It wasn't much magic, but it was enough to let me hear her soft sigh and, some time after, light snores.

While I was recovering my senses, Kagome seemed to be attending lessons. It was odd that she didn't practice wizardry in class, but I guess that's just how the Japanese taught their young wizards and witches. Unfortunately, that meant I had a painstakingly slow recovery. The only benefit was that I got to eavesdrop on her English lessons regularly for a change.

While Kagome slept, or maybe she was just abnormally quiet (which I highly doubt), I took to remembering the old days. It was odd. While dormant for decades, I never really thought about the past. But with the renewal of some of my senses, I started wondering about the sounds and scents of my youth. Then the pictures formed in my mind. Half memories, half imaginings.

* * *

3rd PERSON POV

Kagome didn't often attend class, but when she did, no matter how stupid she felt or how tired her body was, she wanted to learn. So when she found out that today a guest teacher was occupying her English class, she was a little put off. Today was going to be a question and answer day. The students were supposed to practice their inferior English skills with a native speaker and learn about Western culture.

The guest speaker was an American woman in her mid twenties. She seemed to know only as much Japanese as the students knew English, but the children did not care. The woman was pretty so the girls fawned over her, shouting, "Kawaii!" and "Bijin!" The boys blushed and whispered to each other.

"Teacher! What boy do you like?"

"Like what kind of boys do I like?" The teacher gently corrected. "I like boys who are tall, dark, and handsome."

'Tall' and 'handsome' were easy enough to understand, but she had a hard time explaining what 'dark' was and why a lot of women liked guys who gave off a tall, dark, and handsome vibe.

Kagome didn't grasp the meaning at all until later.

She dreamed of a grand hall alit with weirdly floating candles. Four long wooden tables with benches furnished the room and dozens of children of various ages wearing sweaters or cloaks occupied each one. Kagome thought it odd that she recognized nobody, but like in most dreams, she soon accepted circumstances to be the norm. Her mind even conjured a generic uniform for her to sport and blend in.

"Sumimasen," she attempted to ask a boy who looked to be chasing a chocolate-colored frog but he ignored her.

"How rude…," she mumbled before deciding to explore on her own.

She walked up and down along the tables examining the plethora of food. From what she gathered, the children were assigned to a specific table depending on the color of their tie and animal emblem on their clothing. The young Asian woman peered over a girl's shoulder and saw her writing an essay in English with a bird feather. She scrunched her face in disdain at the unfamiliar words before looking around. Nobody seemed to be paying her attention and she was starting to get fidgety.

Feeling like an outsider in her own dream, Kagome sat down and listened in on a conversation between a couple students wearing gold striped red neckties. The accent was throwing her off but she thought she maybe got the gist of the conversation.

"Ugh! How did that Tom Riddle finish his potion so quickly?! Slytherin is now up fifty points. We're neck and neck!"

"I swear he cheated! Slughorn probably taught him the potion before hand. You know how Riddle's a teacher's pet."

"Look at that devil sitting there all smug. He should just do us all a favor and take private lessons so that we don't have to sit through lessons with him. Actually, all them Slytherins should just up and go to Durmstrang or somewhere else."

Kagome sighed as she only understood maybe a quarter of what was being said. Maybe even less. All she had gotten was that somebody named Tom wasn't very liked and that he possibly cheated at something. She switched her attention to some other student.

Two girls wearing bronze striped blue neckties walked by giggling, "I'm going to ask Riddle if he'll help me with my history of magic essay. He was the only one who got a perfect mark on the last one."

"Oh hush. You just fancy him and want an excuse to cozy on up to him in the library. You did perfectly fine on the last essay."

The two walked over to a different table where a group of guys favoring the color green half laughed, half snickered at whatever they were talking about. There seemed to a gathering around a central figure who was also the girls' object of interest. When he looked up at the two girls, he gave a devilish smile and the group chatted loudly. It seemed to bother the people at the table at which she sat herself.

"I don't know what girls see in Riddle. And now I got to go to transfiguration and have to see his ugly face there."

A few of the students got up to exit the room and she watched across the hall as the group of emerald tied young adults gathered their belongings also. The Riddle character got up and scanned her table with a smug expression. His dark eyes slid past her before his friend clapped him on the back and they both made their way to the exit.

As soon as they left, Kagome woke. Before her memory could dull her dream, a stray thought formed, 'So that's what 'tall, dark, and handsome' looks like.'


	9. Chapter 9 - Sorting

It sounds like Kagome is in mathematics class at the moment. It isn't too useful to listen in on these lessons so my mind tends to wander during these times. Arithmetic was how long ago for me? All I remember is that I started in my first year and sped through it with flying colors, as expected.

My first year at Hogwarts...Now that was something. As much as I hated Professor Dumbledore, I do thank him for taking me from that horrid muggle orphanage and introducing me to my birthright.

I knew it from even before primary school that I was special. I was better than everyone else. When I arrived at Hogwarts, I thought I had found my true peers, but I soon discovered I was above them too. It all started with a song. Well, a poor excuse for a song. I remember the words still. So simple it was to recall the day those massive doors opened up into the Great Hall and I was herded in with other jittery first years.

Headmaster Dipwit. Oh, I shouldn't call him so. Headmaster Dippit, fine, trusting man he was, stood proud at the front holding a ratty, mud colored hat by its point. The thing looked like it would disintegrate and I had guessed he was going to set it on fire with some flashy spell as a show for us impressionable new students. Instead, the hat served a much more fantastic purpose that had me wide-eyed and curious.

It talked. Not only did it talk, it sang. To think, after all I had witnessed so far (levitation, fire casting, talking to snakes, a train station behind a wall), that a singing hat had me smiling from ear to ear and my fingers twitching with excitement. Maybe because that hat would finally tell me where I belonged.

"_Little witches and wizards  
stepping into the hall,  
Wide eyed at the vastness of it all._

_I'm sure you've heard by now  
that you'll be sorted into groups.  
I'm here to help you out with that  
Soon you'll be playing in your troupes._

_How do I choose you ask.  
Well I'm smarter than I look.  
Old Gryffindor took me from his head  
and the founders,  
an enchantment they undertook._

_If valiant, bold, and audacious you are,  
then you'd be a fine Gryffindor by far.  
If patience, diligence, and justice lie within,  
Helga Hufflepuff would have made you kin._

_Perhaps in that head of yours  
I read a thirst for knowledge and wit.  
Ravenclaw will have you brainy friends  
to which you'll be closely knit._

_Shrewd Salazar valued blood of purity.  
And if you aim for achievement and power,  
in Slytherin you'll find it.  
You'll realize it this hour._

_So step on up  
and place me on your head.  
Do not fret as I am never wrong.  
In time house colors you will have bled  
and an exciting path you will certainly tread._"

My name was called and as soon as that very possibly lice-infested headpiece touched a hair on my head, it yelled out my destiny. "SLYTHERIN!" It boomed for all the hall to hear. I fixed my hair and shuffled over to the table of green and silver.

What made me a Slytherin? I asked myself as proud people clapped me on the back and welcomed me into their fold. The hat told me the bare basics. It had me curious, and as I researched more, the Slytherin fold became MY fold.

I am shaken out of my thoughts as the desk at which the backpack housing me hung shook. I heard the screech of a chair sliding back at the same time and Kagome shout out something to the professor. She's being scolded at the moment. Ne-ma-shi-ta? Neru? To sleep? Maybe Kagome had fallen asleep. Stupid girl. Baka? Is that right? Maybe. Baka Kagome.

The professor had questioned the sleeping girl and she had shouted "HAT!" of all things. And in English. This was a mathematics lesson. If she must shout random guesses, she could have at least shouted a number. The answer is 28, by the way, dear Kagome.

"_Ni jyu hachi_." 28 in Japanese, I heard the professor sigh out. See, Kagome. I was right and I didn't even need to see the problem. I could have told you the answer. Until that time comes my dear baka Kagome.

* * *

A/n: I haven't written anything that rhymed since grade school and that was a long while ago. Spent like half an hour on that Sorting Hat song and I don't like the last two verses but gave up. I could have just used the real Sorting Hat songs but even though each song says basically the same thing, they are all still worded differently. So I had to make up a semi new one.  
If you can't already determine, Kagome was having a dream of Tom's sorting while in math class. I usually don't like to tell people what I'm going for and like to have people figure it out themselves, but I'm not satisfied with this chapter and the writing so I'm just going to tell you what happened.


	10. Chapter 10 - Castle of Dreams

Kagome arrived to school with a headache. She groaned as she realized she didn't finish her math homework.

"Ayumi-channn...did you finish your math homework? Can I see it?" the tired girl whined.

Her friend scolded her but nevertheless placed a sheet of paper with worked out problems on Kagome's desk. "You're lucky we have English first today so you have time to copy Kagome-chan."

"You're my number one friend Ayumi-chan!" Kagome winked at the other schoolgirl and started copying. No wonder she wasn't learning any math.

She was in the copying zone throughout all of homeroom and part of English class when she felt her seat jolt. Kagome threw a face at Eri, who had kicked her chair. Eri made frantic eye movements towards the front of the classroom, so Kagome knew she was in trouble.

"Kagome, why don't you read from where we left off," the sensei commanded while pushing up his glasses.

Kagome stood up slowly and side glanced to her desk neighbor who was inconspicuously tapping a paragraph in the textbook in a bored manner. Beginning to read, Kagome prayed that she was at the right spot. Her voice shook and didn't really smooth out until the paragraph reached its end.

At her mediocre success, the teacher's face seemed to say, 'I'll catch you off guard one of these times.' "We'll move on to listening now..." A tape was played and a series of questions had to be answered based on the conversations in the recording. "Kagome, what was being said in the last conversation?"

The addressed student mentally scowled. 'Of course he would ask me about the longest conversation. At least I can answer in Japanese.'

She stood up from her seat and answered with a slightly questioning lilt in her voice. "I think John was nervous about school and an upcoming test. So he asked Mary to help him study in the library after school, but Mary said sorry, she has a date. And then as she leaves, John whispers that he's jealous because Mary is cute. Then he remembers about his test and whines that he's going to fail."

The teacher paused as he read the transcript of the conversation. "...Good job, Kagome."

"Thank you Professor," Kagome sighed out in relief as she sat down.

"Professor? You flatter me. Did you learn that word from a movie?"

"Um...probably. I think."

The teacher left her alone for the rest of class and for that, she was thankful. She felt her headache worsen with the English overload. Her dreams as of late have been filled with the foreign language. The start of them were mostly normal: fighting demons, yelling at Inuyasha, shopping at the mall. But lately, by the end of them, she'd always end up at a castle. She blamed it on the one night she fell asleep watching a documentary on Western castles.

That wouldn't have been so weird if it wasn't for the fact that every time she was at the castle, everyone would be speaking English. Or more likely gibberish with some English words she did know thrown in and spoken in a funny accent. It was exhausting because her mind tried so desperately to understand. Kagome didn't always remember her dreams upon waking, but she almost always woke up frustrated. She wasn't sure if this was motivation to study English harder or quit the language altogether (not that she had any choice while in school unfortunately).

Thankfully, she might see some reprieve because Kagome decided she'd come down with pinkeye some time tonight and have to take a week off from school. Just enough time to go investigate a rumor of a jewel shard a few villages over. Indeed, Inuyasha had been surprised that Kagome didn't put up much of a fight when he came barging into her room last night about it. The only reason she didn't leave last night was because she had a test later today. The only reason why Inuyasha didn't yell much was because Kagome's mother was cooking for him all day while Kagome was out.

She rested her head on her propped up hand and shifted her eyes to the left to watch the clouds go by. 'Ah! I guess I overestimated Inuyasha's patience and love for food.' A figure in red had just lept onto a branch of a tree outside the window and shockingly nobody noticed yet. The girl whispered a soft, "Osuwari."

* * *

**Tom's POV**

White magic flared up all of a sudden, drawing my attention away from the horrible English conversation. Really now? What kind of conversations were these kids listening to? If they were learning how to speak such useless gossip, no wonder Kagome failed so miserably at the language. It was just plain appalling. This was the expert who was teaching young minds? I could perform leagues better than that sensei.

Oh wait. How long have I been ranting? Long enough for Kagome to finish her lessons I presume. There goes that flash of blue magic that I haven't felt in a while. Judging by the change in scents and sounds after feeling the blue magic, I have made a guess that the blue magic is that of a portal. On one side of the portal, I got the feeling of wilderness. This was also where Kagome used the most magic so that was a plus. The con was that she did not speak any English on this side of the portal so I could only make wild guesses at what was happening.


	11. Chapter 11 - Seeing

When my proprietor casts a particularly strong spell, I greedily leech some of that power, and her magic must be potent because the little I steal away gives me a surge like no other. I would even dare to say I almost feel whole. A flash of the real world is given to me and in that barely perceivable blink of time, I drink in as many details as possible.

Skies that were often too blue. Trees. Lots of trees. Fields. And rice paddies? Occasional mountains. Sparkling pink light that zipped straight past my fleeting visions. A glimpse of fire red. Of hair that was too white to be the natural gray of old age. A different red that was undoubtedly the crimson of blood. Hair as black and shiny as that of a raven's feathers. And I just knew that had to be Kagome for some unexplainable reason.


	12. Chapter 12

It was probably about a month later that my sight manifested into something less fleeting. At first, they were simply shadows. Then, clouds of color. Then, blurry shaped colors. And finally, I saw.

I couldn't see far. Maybe a 10 meter radius. 20 meters when I was feeling particularly strong. Thank goodness the girl didn't need to take my diary out in order for me to get a visual of my surroundings. If she did, I'd be stuck looking at the inside of a bag the whole time.

Kagome was a lot different than I had imagined. She was petite in height and very feminine in appearance. However, her choice of dress was outrageously revealing. I discovered that many of the girls on one side of the portal dressed as such so maybe she wasn't a harlot. More than half her time was spent at whatever place the portal took her too. It must have been very far away in Japan since the landscape and dress were so different compared to the place I think is called Tokyo.

Her company was an odd bunch. I can't say I've seen too many Japanese people but I'm pretty sure some of her friends weren't human. Care of Magical Creatures barely brushed over beasts of Asia so I can't even guess what they were. In addition, the magic that they used wasn't channeled through a wand. Rather, it was channeled through other tools or even just their hands. Kagome put magic into arrows. The humanoid white haired man shot spells through a ridiculously large sword. The man named Miroku threw pieces of paper at others that turned into fire. Or maybe he was not human since he had a black hole in his hand? I could not decide if I wanted to call the woman named Sango human either since she wielded a huge boomerang that no man could possibly throw with her ease. She certainly didn't look part giant though.

Magic seemed to be used mostly for offense and defense against monsters, and Kagome's group encountered A LOT of monsters. They didn't seem to know any practical spells judging by how they laundered their clothes by hand and scrubbed pots in the rivers. Was it just a cultural difference to not use magic for chores? If so, that was just stupid.

What shocked me most though was that the one side of the portal was most certainly the muggle world AND Kagome was most certainly a mudblood. No wonder I never felt any spells being fired on that side of the portal. And did the mudblood seriously attend muggle school? Why wasn't she invited to some formal Japanese school of witchcraft? How did she even know how to use magic without proper schooling because her family certainly were muggles. Or were they just all unfortunate squibs?

Ugh. Just my luck. Stuck for eternity in a book and it had to fall into the hands of a mudblood. I guess it could be worse. She could have been ugly.


	13. Chapter 13 - Valentine's Day

A/n: Thank you for the reviews! it was pointed out to me that it's kinda odd that Tom would question Sango's species since her hiraikotsu could simply be lightened with some spell (Love ya Sillvog!). Makes sense to me too and I don't know why I didn't realize it before. I sure made Tom's analytical skills look bad. Well...I'm too lazy to change it now so I'm just going to leave it as a plot hole . All great works have plot holes XP

* * *

TOM

The numerous shops in Tokyo decorated with fancy displays of chocolate informed me that the Japanese also celebrated Valentine's Day. From what I could tell, Kagome did not have a significant other (although, I did spy some pathetic looks thrown in Inuyasha's direction) but still fretted over the holiday. Girls looked like they gave chocolates to everybody and anybody. When Kagome went to school, she gave little boxes to all her senseis, the school nurse, her three girlfriends, and even to that Hojo character. The boy looked like he was going to melt into a puddle when he received his gift.

Then she made homemade chocolates to bring with her through the portal to the place that I think is called Edo. I noticed that Inuyasha's little bag of chocolates was just a tad bit fancier and the sweets just a tad bit more copious than the gifts that she gave to the rest of the group. Inuyasha did not seem to notice though. Poor Kagome.

If Inuyasha wanted to get Kagome to do what he wanted, he should really pay more attention to the girl. Or at least look like he was paying attention. I like to think that I mastered the caring classmate and boyfriend act during my time at Hogwarts. A tedious facade to keep up but necessary no less.

While Kagome's group started setting out their bedrolls, the frosty landscape reminded me of a time when acting like a proper boyfriend was particularly irksome.

It was a snow-covered day in Hogsmeade Village. Glancing outside the slightly fogged window, I could see bundled up couples walking hand in hand. It was freezing outside but I rather be out there than inside the tea shop.

"And then Mary said that Beatrice confessed to Marcus in front of…."

Blah blah blah blah blah. That would have been more interesting to listen to than the actual words I was half paying attention to. The other half of my attention was on the decor. Lots of pastels and lots of frills. Towers of tea cups and decorative hearts everywhere. He wondered if the tea shop off High Street normally looked like this or if it was just decorated for Valentine's Day. Why did Alpina Colquhoun, my girlfriend at the time, really want to go here of all places?

"Isn't this place just wonderful!" Alpina gushed as a young woman brought them their tea and biscuits. "Miss Puddifoot, this place is so cute! I wouldn't have wanted to spend Valentine's Day anywhere else! Isn't the decor just fitting, Tom?"

I forced a convincing smile. "It's lovely Alpina. A wonderful tea room you have here Miss Puddifoot. The only thing that could possibly make it more fitting for the occasion is if you had enchanted cherubs sprinkle hearts over us." I had tried so very hard to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

It was, of course, successful. "Oh my! That's a splendid idea! Maybe one day I should do that! I must write that down!" The woman conjured up a notepad. "You precious lovebirds enjoy your tea now. Take your time sweethearts!"

Alpina had gone on about some other trivial gossip afterwards while I smiled, nodded, and occasionally commented. She went to the washroom, and I took that opportunity to avert my gaze from the room and stare out the window. I couldn't look at the interior design anymore. It seriously offended my eyes. A flash of shiny obsidian color moved past the window, a stark contrast to the snow. It must have been a raven. Funny all the details I could remember from that far away day. Then again, Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop was certainly a place one could never forget.

* * *

3RD PERSON POV

Kagome woke with a start. Everyone else was snoring softly. The moon was bright and high in the sky, reflecting off the snow and making the whole area glow. She sighed and snuggled deeper into her sleeping bag before closing her eyes again. She couldn't erase the images from her dream though.

Kagome was on a snowy street. At least she thought she was. The setting beyond her immediate area was blank as if she was standing in the finished portion of an unfinished canvas. A red framed window was next to her so she naturally peered in. It looked like a cafe of some sort and a few young couples were seated inside. Among them was Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Though, he looked a little different. It was probably the hair. Kagome really wished she knew where in real life she had seen this guy for him to show up so much in her dreams. It was getting weird(er).

And Kagome really had never seen such...interesting decor. How did her mind make up such things. She sure had an imagination. The sheer gaudiness of it all made her uncomfortable so she decided to leave. After walking a few meters away from the window though, she woke up.


	14. Chapter 14 - Taste

One day when she let loose so much magic that she passed out, I materialized wholly and saw as she fell on her back from exhaustion, her eyelids falling just as quickly. I winced at the impact of my diary being stuck literally between a rock and a hard place. Without thinking and for my personal comfort, I rolled her off her back so that she was no longer squashing the obnoxious, yellow knapsack in which my diary resided.

I stared at my hands and flexed my fingers experimentally.

"Hmm…" The sound of my curiosity caused her to open her eyes and they locked onto my form.

She blinked and breath moved past her lips. I moved my head closer to her, having a strange desire to hear her words through my actual ears for the first time.

"...It's you," she whispered. And I knew this only because I actually listened when she took her sporadic, elementary English lectures. Unlike her.

"You know me?" I asked her in English but she had already passed out, her head rolling to the side, lips barely brushing mine because I leaned so close to her form.

That is when my last sense, that of taste, returned to me. I admit, I did not have any expectation for it to manifest. I did not even care for it. The thought of her spilling soup on my pages was an unpleasant one. But when her lips ghosted against mine, I pulled away and licked mine out of reflex. A hint of vanilla is what I tasted for the first time in decades. Even though it was only a hint, the experience was a lot more impactful.

How long has it been since my tongue has touched real food? With that taste of vanilla, the memory of other tastes flooded back to me. Ignoring the unconscious form, I rummaged through her rucksack and found a chocolate bar by the looks of it. I stared at the labeling that I could not read and just when I was about the tear open the package, I took notice that the outline of my body had acquired a blurred edge. And no sooner that I noticed it, the chocolate bar slipped through my seemingly solid figure and fell back into the bag.

It seems the power that had fueled my conjuring was not permanent to my misfortune. I gave a sigh and sat back on my heels as I watched myself fade away moments before the girl's friends ran onto the scene. I gave another long sigh as they yelled her name and frantically stumbled around, and I could literally do nothing. I could never do anything before, but the gain and loss of those few minutes of freedom had left me empty.

* * *

A/n: i wrote this chapter like AGES ago. before probably more than half the already posted ones. I just didn't know when I wanted to post this or if I wanted more filler. Once again, reviews much loved and appreciated. Great motivators. So motivate me.


	15. Chapter 15

The common character in Kagome's dreams had shown up just before she slipped into unconsciousness. Or perhaps she was already unconscious? Yes, that made more sense. It had been a while since she let out such a burst of power. She felt like almost all of it had left her at once in a giant tidal wave that crashed into the horde of Naraku's demons, disintegrating most into dust and just tearing apart some of the ones that were unfortunate enough to just touch the edge of her miko ki. Now if only she could figure out how she did it and control it without passing out.

Now they were just regrouping. Inuyasha clenched his fists as Kagome sprayed his scrapes with alcohol. Miroku was sweating slightly and nauseous from absorbing a few saimyosho. Kilala was licking some minor burns on Shippo. Sango was fashioning a sling for herself and her recently relocated shoulder. Kagome, exhausted and on the verge of a 16 hour slumber as she was, was actually the healthiest of the bunch.

There were no more stray Shikon shards left to collect. All were accounted for somewhere: Kohaku's, Kouga's, and the largest chunk in Naraku's clutches. It was just about gaining power to slay each other now.

* * *

TOM

The girl most definitely looked me in the eye. Now that was curious. Maybe she had seen a picture of me somewhere? Maybe I was, by now, famous enough that even Kagome, limited formal education that she had, would have heard of me? But it would not make sense that she'd recognize the teenage version of myself. Horcrux life just became exponentially more interesting.


	16. Chapter 16 - A Train Ride

Kagome made no indication that she remembered my presence while interacting with her group. It was a bit insulting and made me almost doubt that the event even happened. It was most probably a little over a week later when events had settled down out in the physical world and the girl made a trip through the portal to her hometown. After rushing off to school in her disheveled state to take (more likely fail) a quiz, she cruised through the rest of the school day with half a mind. Now she was traveling home by train and staring out the window while hugging her rucksack.

The scenery flickered by too quickly to register, so the lack of entertainment from the outside world made me throw my mind back into the past. I was taking the train back from Hogwarts to spend my summer at the orphanage. The worst part of the year. Mostly because I was forbidden from hexing the other children now that the Ministry knew of my existence.

Fields, forests, and rolling hills were speckled with the occasional animal and dotting of cottages. It was a stark difference from the bustling city of London. I gave a silent sigh before focusing my attention back to my companions.

"What are you going to do this summer Tom?" Alpina had asked me. "My parents are treating me to a cruise. You're welcome to come if you don't have any plans. Marcus, Elizabeth, and Katherine might be joining me." We had broken up just before the end of the school year, but remained "friends". Alpina failed at properly balancing her social life and her studies so I generously decided to help her out to benefit her education. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was a little too clingy and had an unhealthy obsession with a certain obnoxious tea room. I mentally rolled my eyes at her question. To Alpina's credit, she wasn't TOO whiny about the breakup but she had been making occasional attempts to rekindle the fake flames that we had.

She made a tempting offer though. A cruise with my classmates versus stuck doing nothing at the orphanage? My eyes darted to the aforementioned other friends who were possibly going to attend, searching their posture for indications of truth. Though, if Alpina was trying to get us alone together and behave unfavorably, she could always end up in an unfortunate accident.

Our attention and discussion was interrupted when another student entered the car. "Just passing through," the nervous Hufflepuff said as he was greeted with sharp eyes and silence. Ming Chen was his name if I remembered correctly. I worked with him once in potions in some previous year. He was an unobtrusive but proficient pureblood. Half Scottish and half Chinese. The boy ran his hands through his black hair as he shuffled by and for some reason, that reminded me of another Asian that I would come to recognize but wasn't quite acquainted with. Maybe it was the dark hair that reflected almost indigo in the light.

It was when my thoughts of the present blended with my memory that something irregular caught my attention. Something that I do not recall being in the train car at the time. A glimpse of raven hair that didn't belong to any bird or Ming Chen. My classmates froze and blurred away as a new figure came into focus sitting on the table in front of me but facing the opposite window.

Hmm….I thought about Kagome a lot but never had her form materialized in my consciousness. Which, now that I think about it, was odd since I had memories stage themselves in my mind all the time. Did that sound a bit mad? Well, I have solitary confinement as a good excuse for my insanity.

Back to the foreign figure my mind seemed to conjure up. "Really. I don't know why I didn't imagine you in my space before."

This startled the Asian female into standing and she spun around to face me. Her eyes were just as wide and blue as when I first saw them in person. "And to imagine you being surprised to see me. I guess I'm imagining what it would be like if I ever did physically introduce myself to you."

Kagome looked around her before bringing her eyes back to me and then pointed to herself as if asking, 'Me?'

I lifted a brow curiously. "Yes, I am speaking of you."

She shook her head. "_Sumimasen. Eigo amari wakarimasen_...I...don't understand English."

Even more curious. Only if I was REALLY bored would I pass the time imagining Kagome not understanding me. It was only fairly recently any hopes of actually talking to her surfaced so I never really mentally practiced conversations between us with the language barrier. Hmm...maybe I should keep an open mind about what was in front of me.

"My name is Higurashi Kagome. Nice to meet you. And you?" She asked me awkwardly.

"My name is Tom Riddle." I spoke slowly but not too slowly as to insult her intelligence. I threw in a little bow too.

"Rii-do-ru-san?"

"Riddle." I enunciated.

"Ri-do-ru?"

"Riddle."

"Ritoru? Like 'little'? 'Big' and "Little'?" Her hands moved with her speech.

"No. Riddle. Like a puzzling question that makes you think," I explained. Her facial expression became more confused.

"R-Ri-rid-doru...san." I could tell she was trying her best to form the sounds but it didn't keep my eye from twitching.

"How about you just call me Tom."

The look of relief on her face told me she was much more comfortable with that even if her culture dictated she call me by my family name. "Tomu-san."

"Hmm…" Close enough. I'll work on it. "So Higurashi….san." I pronounced carefully. She gave a small smile so I think I didn't destroy her name.

"You can call me Kagome."

"Kagome-san it is then. I would say it is a pleasure to meet you, but I think we've met before," I said carefully. Does she remember our brief exchange out in the physical world?

She mumbled something to herself in Japanese but I saw recognition in her eyes. "I think it was a dream."

"You thought it was a dream? I'm not offended. I am actually wondering if you really are here in front of me right now also."

"This," she gestured to the empty space around her. "is dream, no? A dream. I sure that I'm dreaming."

"And what makes you sure that this is a dream?"

"Because when I sleep, I see you. Sometimes in a big castle. But this is the first time we talking." She made a thinking pose. "This first time I talk to anyone when I dream of people talking in English. People don't see me."

"Is that so? Maybe this is a dream. But I assure you, it is the truth that I am real." She looked skeptical. "I can prove it. When you awake, go-"

The Japanese girl disappeared in an instant and I stood there frozen. What the...Seeing as she wasn't in my consciousness, I turned my senses outwards to observe that the train had announced Kagome's station. Her body automatically awoke with a start and rushed to get off at her stop.

Two things could have just occurred. Either I had a vast imagination, or the girl's consciousness had entered my diary while she had dozed off. And apparently, this was not the first time. If it was the former, well, then I should take up meditation to start clearing my mind. If was the latter, then that changed everything.

* * *

A/n: I've been researching a little bit (because Wikipedia is such a good source, of course...) and found out that the diary was given to Lucius some time before Voldemort's first defeat. Well, ignore that obviously _ Also, I realize that Kagome's timeline is probably supposed to occur later than the Harry Potter timeline. Something I realized when I wanted Kagome to wake up to a cell phone ringing which prompted me to wonder if the modern cell phone was even invented at the time. Then I realized that when the Chamber of Secrets was reopened in 1992, the trusty flip phone wasn't around. So...just throw the Inuyasha timeline back a few years to be semi consistent with the Harry Potter timeline. Or, just read on without even caring about that which is way easier. This is probably just something that bothers me personally. We'll see how long I last. I'll probably end up giving up part way through and throwing in Ipads and President Obama into the story or some other anachronism. I'm so fickle :P  
I also get paid in reviews. So go review. Please and thank you :)


	17. Chapter 17

So maybe I did imagine that whole scene in my mind because Kagome had yet to visit me since. It has been three days. The girl didn't behave as if an English-speaking entity plagued her dreams. I tried sitting patiently in my space while she slept, waiting for her to appear. I tried thinking of random memories to create a setting for her to return to while keeping half an eye out for her. I even tried shouting out to her while she slept. Nothing worked. Or she could have been ignoring me, which would be exceedingly rude.

And it's not like Kagome had a lot on her mind. The most eventful thing to happen was some emotional display between Sango and her brother. That had nothing to do with Kagome, so I don't understand why she had to be distraught about it. Maybe it was a friend thing. I'll never understand.

She was at school now. They are learning how to order food at at a restaurant. A restaurant that only serves generic meat, fish, and salad dishes. They're out of luck if they desired to eat anything specific such as veal, mashed potatoes, or chowder.

"Kagome-chan, want to join our math study session after school?" One of her friends asked. I think.

"Okay! But I have clean up duty today."

"Come afterwards. It's going to be at my house. I'll give you my address." The girls dug around for something to write with and a piece of paper. Ohhh opportunity! My diary was what Kagome fished out. She passed me on to her friend who opened up to a page and started that chicken scratch.

How I would have loved to see the look on that muggle's face when I drank in the ink. But somebody called her name and she looked away. Kagome, on the other hand, it almost made me giddy to see her eyes widen. I was in the middle of writing a reply when she snatched the diary out her friend's hands.

"Gomen-ne, Yuka-chan! I-I forgot I had to do something for Jii-san after school!" Kagome stuffed the diary back into her bag.

At last!


	18. Chapter 18

Kagome felt bad getting Hojo to do her clean up duty. He wasn't even in her class! She really had to buy him a gift or something. Maybe give him a souvenir from the shrine. After settling that matter, she ran all the way home and stopped by the Goshinboku to catch her breath. If she had a cursed object, she wasn't going to bring it into her house, but maybe it'd somehow be less dangerous on holy ground. Kagome wasn't going to have another possessed Noh mask incident. The girl went into the well house where she kept a quiver of arrows, just in case.

With the journal open, she waited for something to happen, squashing the urge to take a page out of her grandfather's book and shout, "Demon be gone!" out of nowhere. Nothing happened for almost a full minute, and the feeling of foolishness crept up on her. She tentatively picked up the book with two fingers and held it at arm's length before dropping it with a squeak.

Scrawly handwriting appeared out of nowhere, one letter at a time.

"Hello again. Kagome-san. I was hoping we would speak again sooner."

"_What?_"

The line erased itself and a new one emerged. "Shall I reintroduce myself? My name is Tom Riddle."

'I know this name…' Kagome gave three blinks before recognition lit her eyes. "_Eh?!_" She picked up the book and flipped to the inside front cover to see the same name. A forgotten dream from a few days ago rushed back to her. "_Tomu….-san._"


	19. Chapter 19

A/n: totally giving up keeping this Tom's point of view. Just going to be super random.

A/n: maybe some of you are wondering why Kagome doesn't easily remember her dreams of Tom. I'm going to assume that most people don't remember their dreams very well, sometimes not at all. And if they do, unless they're constantly thinking about them, people easily forget what they dreamed about. Personally, I think I remember a lot of my dreams in detail, but maybe that's because I live in my head. But sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and am like 'I'm totally gonna tell my friend about this dream!' and then I go back to sleep and later I remember that I wanted to tell my friends about my dream but forgot some details or most of it. I also ask my friends about their dreams and apparently, I'm the odd one out because they all can't remember anything from their dreams...

A/n: from now on, italicized words equal Japanese.

* * *

"So…._youkai jyanai desu ka? Oni?_"

"No, I am not a _youkai_ or _oni_, if you are referring to those monsters. I am a wizard." Tom calmly wrote.

"Ghost?"

"Wizard. Human." Tom repeated to the suspicious girl for the fifth time.

"So...the book is like a jail for your soul?" Kagome was kneeling next to the well staring down at the pages of an apparently abnormal book she had been toting around for months.

"The diary does trap my soul, yes, but it also protects it. If the diary is destroyed, I die."

Kagome nodded to the diary as if a real person was speaking to her. "Who put you in this diary?"

"Someone I trusted and thought was a good man. My professor, Albus Dumbledore." Tom wished his tone of betrayal could be conveyed through the words. Right now, he feared it would be lost in Kagome's bad translation.

"Danburudoa? Why your teacher want to hurt you?"

"Professor Dumbledore was already a strong wizard, but he desired more power. He chose to gain it through evil means. He was working with another student named Hagrid to control a giant snake that ate people."

He waited a little bit for the girl to absorb this information before continuing, "I discovered their plan, and Dumbledore tore my soul out of my body and put it in my own diary."

The girl tilted her head to the side. "Why not kill you?"

"Well...I don't like to brag, but...I myself am a pretty powerful wizard."

Kagome looked skeptical.

"Okay. I got lucky and, instead of killing me, his spell broke a piece of my soul off and it ended up inside my diary that was nearby." It's not like this muggle Japanese girl knew how spells worked anyway. "Unfortunately, my body and rest of my soul don't remember that Dumbledore is a bad man. Or maybe fortunately, since the professor let me live because of this. Dumbledore threw this diary into a fire pit and thought he destroyed me. Since then, I became lost in random exchanges between scared children for many years before coming here."

"So you are not a whole soul?" The look on Kagome's face was sympathetic. Out of all that writing, that's what she focused on? Tom wanted to sigh.

"Can Tomu-san in the diary and Tomu-san's body…" she clapped her hands together and intertwined the fingers, "together?"

"I would think I could reunite with the rest of my soul but I don't know where I am right now. For all I know, I could be dead, and only the confines of this diary are keeping my soul from moving on." The girl frowned at this then narrowed her eyes.

"_Matte_! I saw you here! The time I fall asleep on outside! But not real sleeping." She was gesturing wildly and Tom took a guess she meant when he first materialized on the battlefield in Edo.

"I have a theory. That being around magical people makes my soul fragment stronger, and when I'm strong enough, I can make myself a body and appear in the real world. I also believe, from past experience, that if one person writes often enough in my diary, I feel a stronger connection to the material world, Maybe, if you write to me, I can manifest myself more easily and be free of this cursed diary."

"_Matte_! Slow please!" She dug into her backpack and pulled out some electronic device. "Dictionary. Dictionary."


	20. Chapter 20

Kagome agreed to aid me for now, but I could tell she didn't fully trust me. I don't fault her for that. I wouldn't trust me either and would've thought her many levels more foolish if she did trust so easily. All in good time. I'm a patient man.

The girl told me she wasn't going to write in the diary much though. I do not know if that is the result of caution, lack of time (I've gathered that defeating this Naraku character is time sensitive. Something about finding a baby and a _kokoro_(whatever that is) is involved.) or because she was worse at writing in English than speaking it. I convinced her to use me during English lessons though and she did start to participate more in class for both our benefits.

Curiously, Kagome has not informed the rest of her companions of the additional entity tagging along with them. I inquired as to why once.

"Why is it that you do not tell your friends about me?"

She had paused in her homework that she was rushing to finish before Inuyasha would come to pick her up (although, I don't see why he needed to come get her). I was left open at the corner of her desk and the moving ink had caught her eye. "_Eto_...Inuyasha make me….hmm...not bring you. If he knows."

"He wouldn't allow you to have me around? Why not?"

She gave a shrug and didn't say more about Inuyasha. "Also, my friends don't understand any English. Nothing. So, difficult to explain. And you all can't talk to each other." I didn't push the subject. As long as she kept me close, I was not going to complain.

"By the way, I think you made an error in the second line of the problem. You put 28. I think it might be 27, which would change the final result."

The girl's nose crinkled as she stared at the problem. "You learn this before?"

"Well, no, but I think if you do the multiplication first and then…Just recopy the problem in my diary and I'll show you step by step." And that's how she went from getting math marks in the 20s and teens to 50s and 60s. Hey, I am no miracle worker. At this point, I think only a Felix Felicis potion could help the girl.

* * *

A/n: I'm thinking of differences between Western, Magical, and/or Japanese culture that could make for interesting or amusing scenes between Tom and Kagome. Any suggestions? What would make Kagome blush unintentionally? What would throw Tom for a loop? What would confuse Kagome even more than she already is? What would make Tom (who's seen a lot of things already even if he may not understand what he's seeing) go 'wtf?'


	21. Chapter 21 - Pop Quiz

A/N: Happy holidays my lovelyz!

* * *

"So today we learn the words 'Pop quiz'!"

The students seemed curious about this new vocabulary that was randomly introduced as soon as class started. They weren't interested anymore once the teacher told them the meaning.

"Joke, right? Teacher?" Some students nervously laughed.

"Nope. But, I'll give you 5 minutes to study and I'll even make it open notebook since you've never done this before!"

Once the students learned what 'open notebook' meant, they all scrambled to make their notes as organized and informative as possible.

"Just use me to tell you the answers." Tom's scrawly calligraphy tempted Kagome.

"No! Cheating!" Kagome scribbled as she tried to find her pre-Tom notes.

"It's not cheating. It's called 'using resources'."

She whispered angrily. "No! Cheating no! _Yakusokushite_!"

"Fine….I promise..._Yakusokusuru_…" The hiragana for the word popped up, and Kagome could almost imagine the eye roll that accompanied it.

The teacher clapped her hands and handed out the papers faced down. "So as this is open book, I'm only giving you 10 minutes to finish this quiz. Starting….now!"

All the notes written in Tom's diary disappeared and Kagome almost had a heart attack. Just when she was about to cry/throw the book out the window, her notes reappeared organized in a different, easier to understand way.

"It's all Kagome-_san_'s writing. I just moved it around a little. Hopefully, it will be quicker for you to find answers this way."

The girl narrowed her eyes at Tom's unauthorized actions but, glancing at the clock, she didn't have time to complain. Ten minutes later, she handed in the paper and put her head down from the stress of literally just finishing as time was up. 'Pop quizzes should die…'

"Good job," Tom wrote.


	22. Chapter 22 - Slytherin Dungeon

"I think I'm getting the hang of this. This is what? Our fifth face to face meeting via dreams? Well, that you can remember."

Kagome nodded as she walked around the room modeled after the Slytherin common room.

"This is your dorm? _Ryou_?" If she thought she could die in her dreams, Kagome probably wouldn't have followed Tom down into the dungeons of the castle. He was giving her a tour that started top to bottom, and if this was all real, she would have been sure he was walking her down to get eaten by rats or snakes and tortured or something.

"Yes, _ryou_, dormitory. This is our common room."

"Isn't it….sad?" She examined the tapestries and couldn't help rubbing her arms at the cold atmosphere.

"Do you mean 'depressing'?" A sprouting fire startled Kagome and brought her attention to the emerald-eyed stone snake over the mantel. "We Slytherins find it cozy."

Kagome picked up a wolf skull and turned to Tom. "This is normal? Are Slytherins bad students?" To get banished to the dungeons, they must have done something wrong right?

"No no. Only the pure and best are sorted into Slytherin. We might live in the dungeons but I assure you, these are comfortable quarters." Tom lowered himself onto a dark green leather chaise and watched her explore the detailed recreation of his childhood hangout. The girl finally chose her own black leather sofa to lounge on.

"We did not go to the one common room? Grif...fodo?" The corner of his lips upturned at her butchering of the Gryffindor name. They had briefly glanced the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff common rooms (him having seen them while walking some girls back late at night) but he would rather have failed his O.W.L.s than be caught in the Gryffindor common room.

"Slytherins and Gryffindors have had a long history of rivalry. I have no memories of visiting their common room."

"Rivalry. And contempt?"

Tom raised an eyebrow "Oh? Contempt? Good word."

"But why contempt?"

And then Tom launched into the history of Hogwarts while Kagome quickly drifted off to the sound of his voice along with the gentle swooshing of lake water.

Tom rested his head on his hand as he observed the sleeping Kagome. "Hmm...Now how does that even work? Falling asleep in a dream?"


	23. Chapter 23

"So what I think is happening is that when the diary somehow has gathered enough of your miko energy, it condenses and manifests into something I have so desired for decades, a body, to which I can extend my soul into. The energy, and thus the body, is anchored to the diary, but, unfortunately, the energy is hard to keep condensed and easily evaporates so I cannot hold form for long."

The girl nodded but I noted her glassy eyes. I would not be very surprised if I was merely meditating ideas "out loud" to myself.

"That is why I think that burst of power from you in the field allowed me to appear before you. It goes to follow that another show of great miko power would cause it to happen again."

"So Tom-_san_ want me use lots of miko ki? I not good. I am not good at using it. Maybe it not, won't work though. I need danger usually."

"Surely trying wouldn't hurt right?" As strong of a personality as this girl had, she sometimes lacked confidence in her abilities. I haven't exactly seen other miko in action to compare her to but if her powers were giving me new life, she had to be somewhat remarkable.

"Okay….if Tom-_san_ really wants me to…." Then the girl took up a nearby arrow and brought it downwards at an alarming speed onto the diary.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT!" Thank Merlin her reaction speed was quick enough to stop before she caused too much damage. The point of the arrow merely pricked me but still I winced as if she ran me through with a sword. It was probably just the image of the scene that made me feel more pain than I should have.

"That was not what I had in mind. Do you not have a priestess school or something of the like around here that you can attend first?"


	24. Chapter 24

Kagome was in the kitchen with her books spread across the table and diary to the side. She alternated between daydreaming and rereading the same passage in her science textbook. All of a sudden, she commented to her unseen companion.

"I like you better with Shi-rin-da-_san_."

His penmanship crawled across the paper, "Pardon?"

"Shi-rin-da-_san _and Tom-_san_ look _kawaii _together. Arupina-_san_...not good match."

"I'm sorry. I don't quite understand. Are you speaking of my love life? What memories have you seen now?" Now that Kagome knew of Tom's existence, she found herself occasionally stumbling upon one of his flashbacks if her mind wandered too far from reality. This only happened if Tom got bored and let down his guard as well.

"You were talking with Shi-rin-da-_san _in the library. Then walked to the Great Hall together holding hands. Tom-_san _was laughing and smiling more natural. With Arupina-_san_, sometimes you made annoyed face when she wasn't looking. And Shi-rin-da-_san _more beautiful." Kagome said. "Tom-_san no_ memories like watching TV."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, happy to be of amusement to you."

"Arupina-_san_ was too _beta beta_ also. Hmm...maybe not too _beta beta_ but too_ beta beta_ for person like Tom-_san_ I think."

"What does '_beta beta_' mean?"

"_Eto_….like glue. _Mattekure._ Wait one second._ Souta_!" The girl shouted for her little brother to come downstairs.

"_What's up nee-san?_"

"_I just want to give you a hug. I missed you! You are so cute my little otouto!_" Kagome clung onto her little brother and fawned over him, petting his hair. The little boy was thoroughly grossed out.

"_What's wrong with you? You're so weird…,_" Souta pushed against the girl and ran away.

"_Beta beta_." She said once she heard Souta close his bedroom door.

"Hmm…"

"Melted ice cream, also _beta beta_. And after exercise," she fanned herself, touched her skin, made a face and pretended to be sweaty, "also _beta beta_."

"Ah...so something sticky. And a person who sticks to you. A clingy person," Tom put together.

"Yes. Clingy. Arupina-_san_ was a little clingy. Need you around too much."

"Yes. Alpina was a bit needy. Celinda was my next girlfriend." 'Really, friends with benefits but Kagome doesn't need to know that.' "Out of curiosity, how long were you witness to this particular flashback?" Tom asked.

The girl thought out loud, "You two went to the Great Hall. Then, ate lunch. Then went to that special room that always changes. And then….." A light pink started to spread across her cheeks. "Ki..kis..._kisu_…" She's seen her friends kiss their boyfriends and random people on the streets exchange brief kisses. She even spied Tom give pecks on the cheeks to various girls and to Alpina, but Tom and Celinda's snogging was just a bit more passionate than she was used to.

"Yes, well, I would request that you find your own imagination next time you wander too far into mine. Unless you enjoy that type of TV show. Not to spoil things for you, but the rating may go up if you're not too careful."

Kagome got the gist of the warning and nodded.


	25. Chapter 25

A/n: super short tidbit...

* * *

"Kaede-baachan and Miroku-sama say I have lots of miko ki. I just need to learn to move it around. Then I can move it into things that not arrows and even if I am not in danger. They tell me first to focus and find ki inside me."

"Yes, well, you may need to focus better if every time you meditate, you come see me."

The girl gave off a whine and plopped down in our imaginary space. It was more convenient to speak to her in this manner but a bit detrimental to Kagome's safety. "The monk's hand is coming dangerously close. Again."

Heeding my warning, Kagome snapped back to reality and connected her hand to her perverted friend's cheek. After a brief argument, she resumed her meditative pose and slipped back to me to continue her complaints. Now that she could nearly freely slip into my consciousness, I had learned to keep my less savory thoughts behind thick walls.

"It's too difficult!"

"Nobody ever achieved anything by giving up." I leaned down in front of her as if comforting a child. "Now, you're not doing this for me, you're doing this for yourself. This will make you stronger, no? Strong enough to one day defeat your greatest adversary. I just happen to also benefit from your progress. Kagome's power is both our goals, so I will help you. By the way, Inuyasha is stomping over with an unattractive look on his face." When her mind visited me, it failed to register the material world, so I had to do it for her. Hopefully, once she learns to harness her ki better, she will relieve me of this task. So troublesome.


	26. Omake - Bloomers

Kagome slipped into their shared consciousness, trusting Tom to warn her if a ball comes flying at her head. Having heard that Kagome was barely recovered from some type of hemorrhagic fever, her sensei had her sit at the sidelines. The phantom was currently faced away from her.

"Kagome-san, so good to see you here but...would you mind changing into something more….well, more...substantial."

"What's wrong?"

"I am just very much puzzled about Japanese uniform attire. I was led to believe that Asians were conservative."

Kagome tilted her head to the side. She had come to his side and he leaned away.

"Oh for goodness….just put on some trousers! Or a long skirt! Or a wrap a bloody towel around your waist or something! I don't understand how you could possibly be running around school in your undergarments!"

Comprehension dawned on the girl and she put her hands on her hips. "Not pants! This is my gym uniform! _Buruma desu yo!_"

"By no definition are those bloomers! Those are not appropriate length for school! There IS no length!"

"Well, I can't change my school's uniform policy Tom!" She was on the border of exasperation, amusement, and pity at Tom's state of distress. It was rare that he lost composure.

He was mumbling to himself now. "If they're going to make you sit out for gym class, I don't understand why you can't go off and do something else. Go study in the library or something…."

"I am studying! Meditation! I thought Tom-san would be happy!"

* * *

A/n: pretty much an omake or filler. I'm sure a lot of you have seen those Japanese high cut gym short burumas in anime. Thankfully, they stopped using those ridiculous excuses for shorts in the 90s. If you don't know what they look like, just google Japanese buruma or Japanese bloomers. Tom knows bloomers as something completely different.


	27. Chapter 26

"What?" Kagome asked for the third time on the other side of the campfire.

"Nothing, Kagome-sama," Miroku replied for the third time.

"You keep glancing over here," Kagome pointed out.

"Oh have you been watching me Kagome-sama? I'm truly flattered!" Miroku lifted a brow suggestively.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Nevermind."

Miroku resumed eating his soup and used his other senses to observe his surroundings. He had sensed it for a while. Weeks, maybe even months. There was a foreign entity following them, more specifically, following Kagome. At first, he was alarmed. It was an obvious dark force but it didn't seem to harm their group. Kagome seemed to be keeping the spirit(?) contained, but it was odd that the girl didn't tell her companions about it. For now, he'd respect Kagome-sama's privacy. The novice miko's power was slowly but surely enveloping the evil pressure. Maybe not to the point of squashing it out but definitely weaving through it. Maybe Kagome was asking for more lessons to take care of this dark spirit on her own. It seemed to be working and Miroku was proud of her.


	28. Chapter 27 - School Festival

"Just to summarize, girls dress up in frilly maid costumes and work as waitresses in cafes."

"I thought 'summary' made things shorter. I think that's what I said exactly."

"Yeah, you are correct. I was just having a difficult time understanding why this is a thing."

"Thing? It's not an object. It's a job and a…fetish?"

"It's a 'thing' as in a 'fad' or something popular that everyone likes to take part in," Tom explained. "And your class is doing a maid café for your school festival?"

"Yes, unfortunately. They voted while I was away," sighed the girl.

"Your costume is ALMOST as short as those _buruma_ you wear to gym class," Kagome read out of the corner of her eyes as she held up the costume and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Unfortunately…at least we wear tights with it."

"There's something seriously flawed with your education system."

"Hey!"

The next day, Kagome was standing at the door to her classroom waving in guests with one hand and pulling down her dress with the other. "_Irrashaimase_! Come enjoy a hot cup of tea and some homemade cookies at Sunshine Café! Welcome! _Irrashaimase_!" 'This is so embarrassing….'

"Kagome-chan! Switch places with Himeko-chan. She burned her hand and can't serve anymore," the class rep commanded.

"Hai!" she gave her outfit one last tug and grabbed a silver serving tray. "Hello….young masters….how may I serve you today?" She asked.

"Hi!" Two guys of probably college age sat at the table by the window. The auburn haired guy was squinting at the chalkboard to read the menu while the bleached blonde boy was eyeing Kagome.

"I'll have a café latte with some sugar cookies!"

"What do you recommend, Cute Miss?"

Kagome ignored the nickname. All the customers today called the maids of the café 'cute' or 'pretty' and, by now, they had stopped blushing and had become desensitized. "I think an iced mint green tea would be very refreshing, Master."

"Then I'll have one of those, Cutie, and a chocolate cupcake." The blonde threw her a toothy smile and she bowed before leaving to put in her order. She paused just slightly as her skirt brushed against something, probably the edge of the table, before continuing on. 'This outfit is ridiculous…'

"Eri-chan, get me a café latte, some cookies, and a cold mint green tea with a choco cupcake on the side please!" she ordered as she went behind their makeshift counter.

"Hai!"

Kagome took a breather and rummaged through her backpack underneath the table. Tom's script greeted her as she opened up the diary. "Somebody's been busy having fun."

"Who? Is this sarcasm?" she scribbled and then drew a frowny crying face.

"Yes. That is sarcasm."

"Just one hour and then I'm finished and can walk around."

"Can you explain to me why your voice has gone up two octaves? It's quite cringe worthy."

She closed the notebook after Eri finished plating the guys' orders.

"Here you go masters. Enjoy." She turned around and jumped a little as silverware clattered against the floor.

"Oh! Clumsy me! I'm sorry!" Blondie went to reach for the fork a step in front of her but she, being the good waitress she was, retrieved it for him.

"Oh don't worry about it young master! I got it! I'll get you a new one!" She bent over as modestly as she could in her dress before scurrying off to find a new fork.

The next 45 or so minutes were super busy and Kagome kept one eye out for the girl that was supposed to relieve her of her duties.

"Can I take these from you young masters?" She returned to the guys' table and collected the plates and cups. "Would you like anything else?"

"Yes, actually. I'd like to know when your shift ends, Maid-chan," blondie asked as he leaned his head on a propped up hand.

"I don't think you need to know _okyakusama_. Thank you for your business," she ended with false cuteness and a short bow.

A girl came up next to Kagome and let her know, "I'm here to relieve you, Kagome-chan."

"…Thanks Kaori-chan." She made a face as the blonde's expression brightened.

"Kagome-chan! What a unique name." He followed her as his friend flirted with Kaori who was more receptive of advances. Kagome didn't blame her. The auburn haired guy was better looking and less sleazy. "Would you like to show me around the school?"

"I'm sorry, but no." Kagome gave him a small, fake smile. 'And not actually sorry.' .

"Why not? Are you busy now? You're on break right? Want to go for a ride? I got a car." She froze as he grabbed her wrist and she stared at a teetering quarter cup of tea that was balancing on a few plates on the tray she was carrying.

"I'm meeting with friends." She carefully moved to pull her wrist out of his grasp and continued towards the counter

He intercepted her in a way that he maybe thought was charming or cute with his one hand on his hip and the other ruffling the hair behind his head in a sheepish manner. "How about I just walk with you until you meet them?"

"That's really unnecessary."

"Come on! You're cute. Wanna get to know each other?" He reached again for her and she stepped back and looked around for aid. Everyone else was busy but she didn't want to cause a scene. The café was going so well. They might even win as the most popular 'booth' at the school festival.

"I…already like somebody so sorry, but no." She dodged him and reached the counter finally. Removing her apron, she folded it and reached for her bag from under the table.

"You sure?" He brushed the hem of her dress and she squeaked in surprise before turning blazing eyes on him. "Tom-san, sorry but I'm going to use you as a weapon," she muttered in English. Her hand clenched the strap of her bag and she readied to swing it at the guy.

"That looks heavy, I'll carry it for you." He reached over the table to get the bag from her and more than brushed up against the decorative lace at her bust.

"How dare you!"

"Kagome-chan, you ready?" someone asked.

The fire in her eyes extinguished in a downpour of shock as she looked over Blondie's shoulder. "….Tom…san?"

"I was waiting for you but you took too long." It only took two more seconds for the rest of the room's occupants to notice the tall, dark-haired obviously foreign male in the room. He wore the clothes of a prep school nobody recognized and, to their inexperienced eyes, looked like royalty or, at the very least, fairly rich. Eri almost overfilled a teapot with boiling water when she saw Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome stand next to Kagome.

Tom took the opportunity to pick up a biscuit from the table and savored it. "Mmm….delicious. This is what you stayed up all night baking right?" His eyes glinted as they shifted towards the blonde guy. "Who's this, Trash?"

The Blonde froze at being spoken to. "Umm…."

"Somebody didn't pay attention to their English lessons. But even if you had tried, I would not be surprised if your tiny brain was incapable of knowledge absorption."

"I…," Blondie tried to start before shaking his head. "So-ri?"

"Your senses do not seem to be capable of registering social cues of rejection from my companion here." Tom turned to Eri who had approached in curiosity. "Do you mind if I have a cup of tea?" Tom asked in Japanese with barely an accent as he gestured towards the teapot Eri was still holding.

"Um…ah! Hai!" Tom sipped at the cup of white tea and resumed his confrontation with Blondie. Ah it was good to hear his own voice.

"Apologies. It does seem that you CAN understand rejection, because I am sure you experience it often enough, but you certainly lack critical thinking since you still pursue my…friend with the same old tactics."

"Tom-san…we should…um…leave?" Kagome tugged on his shirt sleeve.

The Englishman hummed as he put down the teacup. His fingers tingled slightly and he took it as a sign that Kagome was right.

"Yes, we should. Have a wonderfully horrible day sir." Tom shouldered Kagome's rucksack and took her hand, eliciting gasps and squeals from various females and classmates, and walked her towards the door. Kagome picked up the pace and past him, half dragging him out of the room but not before he snagged a few more biscuits.

Less than a minute later, they found themselves in a part of the school that wasn't being used during the festival.

"Tomu…," Kagome panted with her hands on her knees. "How….?"

"Hmm…I'm not quite sure how yet but this is definitely something I will work on." The young man placed the bag down on the ground, sure any second now, it would fall from his grasp anyway and cause him a headache.

"You waste energy to save me from that boy?" Kagome was looking at him with grateful eyes and he almost rolled his own.

"I would not call it a complete waste." The wizard devoured the last biscuit before slowing fading.

Just in time as Eri and a few other girls rounded the corner. "KAGOME! WHO WAS THAT HOT PIECE OF-!"


	29. Chapter 28

Kagome ran out of arrows and had lost her bow not long after. She stumbled over a root in her run but caught herself. Unfortunately, that's when her luck ran out because she tripped over a rock with her next step. The girl tumbled down a hill, collecting a multitude of scrapes and spilling the contents of her overstuffed backpack.

The roar of her current pursuer shook her to her bones. The monster appeared at the top of the hill. It was some type of worm demon. It was shaped like a giant maggot, a shape that scared Kagome more than the fact that it was currently trying to eat her. Of course she had to run out of arrows when there was just one worm left. Their skins were thin but protected by a thick layer of moist slime. They weren't hard to kill if you could slice through the slime.

As the oozing creature slid closer to the girl, she screamed and threw the first object that her hand touched. Tom's diary frisbee'd through the air with an envelope of pinkish purple around it. The object sliced through the neck of the demon before thunking against a tree.

"OH BLOODY HELL, Woman! Ow!" The phantom materialized with the influx of power and picked up his diary. His face contorted with equal parts pain, fury, and disgust. He swept back to the shocked girl, gingerly stepping around a dying worm demon, and pushed the book into her hands. "WASH IT! Wash it NOW!" The diary dripped slime from its cover.

The miko didn't seem to hear Tom's words. "Tom-san! I did it! I put ki into the diary!"

"Well, yes, that's lovely and all. But I strongly request you NEVER throw me again."


	30. Chapter 29

"You are ignorant."

"Well, I'm sorry that I'm not from around here and didn't grow up as a shrine maiden. Well, technically…"

"I am merely stating fact. You are ignorant of technique and lack almost all knowledge of demons, holy people, and your duties. But, your instincts are strong."

Kagome blinked, still put off but not sure if that last part was supposed to be part of the insult.

Kagome didn't hate Kikyo, but the older miko was not on her list of favorite people either. Probably not even in her top 15. But, the younger girl would have to be delusional to deny that Kikyo was the more skilled priestess, and Kagome was thankful that she kept Kohaku's shard safe and pure by her side as they traveled together.

"Holy people instinctively feel drawn to darkness. We seek to destroy or guard evil objects to protect others from their influence." Kikyo blankly stared at Kagome. "It is what you are doing with that impure entity that you tote around." Kagome tensed up as she was bandaging the other miko.

"I don't know what you're talking about Kikyo-san."

"Do not take me for a fool, my reincarnation. What I am wondering is why you have not purified it. Granted, the energy surrounding it is foreign, not exactly demonic, but still far from good or natural." Her eyes slid to the future girl's backpack and then back to her nurse. "In fact, it is one of the darker objects I have come across. The soul is impure. Perhaps you need a more experienced hand's aid?"

Kagome's nose wrinkled, but there was no point denying it anymore. "He's not evil. And he's human. He was wronged in life and trapped in there, and I'm trying to free him."

"That does not alter the fact that your lost soul is a dark one. He tells you lies."

"What do you mean?"

Kikyo pondered, "Souls outside their bodies are a fickle matter. As you and I both know. It explains why it is so impure. A mere fragment of a soul cannot exist without...consequences." Kikyo's eyes wandered to the sky to follow the lazy clouds.

She didn't know why, but Kagome was glad that Kikyo spoke in archaic Japanese. It meant Tom would have exponentially more trouble understanding the conversation.

"One cannot successfully trap another's soul without using their own. Midoriko-sama trapped the demons inside the jewel but she could not do so without sacrificing herself. She continues to battle against them to contain them in the jewel. I sense no other soul opposite your acquaintance. It suggests he put himself in his current position. Whether by accident or intention, breaking your own soul apart, that requires a horrendous act."

"He wouldn't do that. It wouldn't make any sense to hurt himself. He isn't foolish." Kagome was careful to not say Tom's name, and, despite her quick defense, she decided to lie about the conversation when he asked about it later.


	31. Chapter 30

Tom's Pov

Kagome was more inquisitive than usual, asking about my past. She had always been full of questions but most of them had more to do with magic and English than my personal life, the sole exception being that one time she inquired about my love life.

"So did or does Tom-san not curious about his real parents?" She asks out loud while washing pots in the river.

Sango says something, most likely wondering if Kagome had asked her something. Her friend is a little ways up river washing clothes. Kagome blushes and assures the woman she is just talking to herself.

'Tom-san?' She asks internally and I chastise her.

"You should really be paying attention. You are not so skilled yet that you can just talk to me all the time. Look. You are going to lose another spoon," I point out.

Kagome quickly snatches up the wooden ladle that had started to float away.

Despite my warnings, she continues to ask, this time in her mind, 'Tom-san never talks about family. I know you have no parents but do not you want to find out who they were or why they give you up?'

"I did find out. My mother died shortly after my birth. My father was a worthless man who also died. I am the only one left by now I'm sure of both bloodlines."

'I'm sorry...'

I can see her eyes shine. "Now now. Don't you shed any tears. I did fine on my own don't you think? Besides the whole getting stuck in my diary fiasco."

"I can cry if I want to cry," she says out loud, drawing the attention of Sango again.

The women finish cleaning and prepare camp for the night. Kagome leaves me behind in her bag as she goes off alone to bathe. She always loved to be clean but I swear she has been extra concerned about her hygiene recently.

It is a few weeks later that she finally tells me that she has been asking Kikyo for advice on her training every couple nights. Why so secretive Kagome hm?


End file.
